Given that I live in Richmond-upon-Thames, I am glad to see that the council might be introducing higher permit parking fees for the so called large gas-guzzlers. So instead of paying £200/year for a parking space, the larger cars now have to pay £750 (but hey I don’t have a car, so of course I’m pleased!).

However, will these higher fees provide an incentive for people to downgrade their cars? Given that the Richmond area is one of the most affluent areas of London, and of the UK, it might not change consumer behaviour that much. The demand for cars at the high end is quite inelastic to any additional costs, so this might just be a money-spinner for the Lib Dem council. Will the money go into projects that have a benign affect on the environment, or even improve it? Who knows?

Since it is reported that car companies are not innovative enough to meet CO2 deadlines, maybe the government is justified to provide this little incentive to change behaviour.